The Birth of Yellow
In 2009, for an exhibition "Colours" curated by Laura Donefer (www.LauraDonefer.com), I made three pieces - The Birth of Red, Yellow and Blue.
These pieces feature glass cyclones from my Imaginary Botanicals series. In an alternate reality, if cyclones were botanical, they would beautifully signify growth and becoming. In this case, the cyclones are birthing the primary colors.
The Birth of Yellow was recently purchased by Premier Tom Marshall of Newfoundland and Labrador.
A week later another collector called asking to purchase it! I am now making him a new similar piece.
The Birth of Yellow 50"h wall mounted
Monday: 4 of 40 fruits done. 10%
Tuesday: 11 of 40. 27.5%
22 of 40. 55%.
I play this game of counting and figuring the percent completed each day. It helps through the repetition of making multiple components.
30 of 40. 75%. Almost there. One, perhaps two more days for the fruits.
Fruits 100% complete!
I needed to get a move on and decided to just boogaloo (a family expression) the leaves in one day. Although I nearly broke my body (it's physically difficult to stand behind a torch with arms outstretched for hours), I finished the leaves in 7 1/2 hours!
My next step was to make vine "frames" that I will build the fruit clusters on.
Two days of work, and I've completed assembling the fruit clusters.
Three days of work, and I've completed the cyclone.
All the glass components are ready. From here I will cut, bend and weld the vines, then paint them; and sandblast the glass.
All the glass is made and I've moved into making the vines. I've cleaned, bent and cut the steel vines. I've got the pieces laid out on my studio floor and I'm now in the midst of welding. Not my favorite part of the project. I'm just not good at welding, so I have to follow up with grinding and cleaning up my ugly welds. I'm always relieved when it's done! Should be today. Fingers crossed.
Here it is complete. This is the studio photo shot by Keay Edwards, who photographs all my work. http://keay3.net/
